Orange Grand Marnier Sauce For Nian Gao Recipes

FA GAO

Steps:

• Fill a 12-inch skillet or wok with about 2 inches of water, then place a 10-inch bamboo or metal steamer basket in the skillet. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom insert. If it does, remove some of the water. Leave the steamer setup on the stove. Spray ten 3-inch fluted egg tart molds with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Whisk the brown sugar, oil and 3/4 cup hot water in a large mixing bowl until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Set aside the sugar syrup until completely cool, about 10 minutes.
• When the sugar syrup is ready, sift the all-purpose flour and rice flour into the syrup in 3 additions, whisking between each addition until there are no dry spots. Stir together the baking powder and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl until there are no dry clumps of baking powder. Whisk the baking powder slurry into the batter in 3 additions until there are no streaks of slurry. Fill the prepared egg tart molds to the top (about 1/4 cup of batter per mold).
• Bring the water in the skillet to a rolling boiling water over high heat. Set 5 of the molds in the steamer basket, cover and steam until the cakes rise and the tops crack open and resemble a flower, about 15 minutes. (Don't open the lid while the cakes cook; doing so interferes with the rising.) Transfer the molds to a cooling rack. Replenish the water in the skillet as needed and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Set the remaining 5 molds in the steamer basket and repeat the steaming process.
• Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature, unmolding them only when you are ready to eat them. They can be kept, covered in their molds, in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheated by steaming over simmering water for about 10 minutes.

GRAND MARNIER ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix butter and sugar heat in microwave oven on high for 1 minute.
• Add cream, Grand Marnier and orange zest.
• Heat for 2 minutes stir and heat for 1 more minute.
• Add orange food coloring for eye appeal stir.
• Serve warm.

POP'S EIGHT TREASURE RICE FLAMBEE AND GRAND MARNIER ORANGES

Steps:

• Wash and soak the sweet rice overnight.
• Add the rice to a medium sized pot and pour enough water to cover about 1-inch more than the level of the rice. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let cool.
• Coat the inside of a large, shallow bowl or deep plate with oil or non-stick spray. Place a thin layer of the cooked rice into the bottom of the bowl. Cover the entire inner surface of the bowl, making sure that there are not any gaps or holes. Press the nuts and fruits into the rice layer. Be sure that the pattern is comprised of different nuts and fruits so that each piece of the rice will contain all of the components.
• Add the bean paste above the rice layer. Make sure that the paste is just about flush with the top of the bowl. Cover the paste with another layer of rice.
• Place the rice-coated bowl into a large bamboo steamer. Using high steam, cook the filled bowl for 2 hours until the rice and the nuts are very soft.
• Flip the bowl over onto a plate. In a sautee pan, add butter and sautee the oranges. Deglaze with Grand Marnier and flambe. Pour on top and serve as soon as possible. Plating: Slice the rice dome in slices like you would a round cake or a pie and serve.

NIAN GAO

Steps:

• Bring a wok filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil over medium-high heat (the water should be low enough so it doesn't touch the cake pan once it is added). Alternatively, you can use a bamboo steamer or a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket.
• Bring the brown slab sugar and 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons of cold water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally as the slab sugar tends to stick to the bottom of the pot, and cook until the sugar melts. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool until no longer steaming, about 6 minutes.
• Mix both kinds of rice flours together in a large bowl and set aside.
• Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment circle and lightly grease the parchment with more vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Gradually add the sugar syrup to the rice flours in three additions, stirring with a rubber spatula until there are only a few small lumps of flour. The mixture will be stiff at the beginning but will loosen after stirring for about 1 minute.
• Strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve set over another large bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place the pan over the steamer and steam over medium heat until the cake is light brown and almost translucent, about 2 hours; refill the steamer after every 10 to 15 minutes as the water evaporates.
• The classic way to check for doneness is by taking a small piece from the center of the cake with a chopstick (or a butter knife) and then placing a dried red date on top of the hole to hide it and provide a kind of decoration. Remove the pan from the steamer and set aside until cool enough to handle. Flip the nian gao onto a large plate and peel off the parchment.
• To serve right away, cut the cake into 1/2-inch-thick wedges using a greased knife. Enjoy the bouncy texture.
• For pan-fried nian gao, allow the cake to cool completely and, without slicing, cover the cake with foil. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Pan-fry in a lightly greased nonstick skillet over medium heat, flipping halfway through, until browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Enjoy while hot for the perfect chewy texture and serve with condensed milk if desired as a dipping sauce.

PAU PAU'S STEAMED CUPCAKES (FA GAO)

Steps:

• Prepare your steamer setup: Fill a heavy-bottomed pot (the same diameter as your steamers) with 3 to 4 inches water. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Line 10 individual 3-inch cupcake molds with paper liners and arrange in 2 bamboo steamers.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the pancake mix, flour, brown sugar and water until smooth. (The batter should be thick but runny.)
• Divide the batter evenly between the molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Stack the bamboo steamers and cover with the lid. Steam for 15 minutes. Lift the lid, remove the steamers and allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.